Author: AstroGeo

Science Outreach Specialists

Telescope Buying Tips, the Moon Meets Jupiter, Mars Tickles the Beehive, and Venus Grazes Globulars!

The globular star cluster known as Messier 22 and the Great Sagittarius Cluster. Venus will shine near this object this week. The cluster spans about one-third of the full moon’s diameter and is visible in binoculars and backyard telescopes. The best time to view its rich, “sugar on black velvet” spectacle is during the summer…
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Greater Toronto Area Space Station Flyovers for the week of November 17th, 2024

As shown above, on Monday, November 18, 2024 from 5:55 to 6:00 pm EDT, the International Space Station will be visible flying over the GTA in a very bright pass, rising from the west-southwestern horizon and then flying past the bright star Vega before entering Earth’s shadow in the northeastern sky above Jupiter. (courtesy: Heavens-above.com)…
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An Evening Moon Erases Saturn, Seeing Stars Shoot, Max Mercury and Uranus, and Full Frost Final Supermoon!

The area around the small, bright crater Aristarchus (left of centre) in Oceanus Procellarum is one of the most colourful portions of the lunar surface. The large ragged ray systems at lower right surround the craters Copernicus and Kepler. (Rolf Hempel via Planetary.org) Hello, Mid-November Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of…
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Greater Toronto Area Space Station Flyovers for the week of November 10th, 2024

As shown above, on Saturday, November 16, 2024 from 5:47 to 5:52 pm EDT, the International Space Station will be visible flying over the GTA in an extremely bright pass, rising from the southwestern horizon near Venus and then flying above Saturn and below the Great Square of Pegasus before entering Earth’s shadow low in…
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We Stop Saving Daylight, See Some Shooting Stars, and Eye the Moon in Evening While Jupiter Sports Spots!

The trio of craters Theophilus, Cyrillus, and Catharina flank the western edge of Mare-Nectaris. They are easy to see when the lunar terminator lands just to their west as shown here for Wednesday, November 6 (NASA) Hello, Mid-Autumn Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for the week of November 3rd, 2024 by Chris Vaughan. Feel…
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Greater Toronto Area Space Station Flyovers for the week of November 3rd, 2024

As shown above, on Sunday, November 3, 2024 from 5:29 to 5:33 am EDT, the International Space Station will be visible flying high overhead of the GTA in an extremely bright pass, exiting Earth’s shadow high in the western sky near Jupiter and then flying between Mars and the bright star Procyon before setting below…
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Moonless Nights Provide Plenty of Planets, Meagre Meteors, a Comet, a Pulsing Eye, and Some Tricky Treats!

NGC 457, better known as the Owl Cluster, ET Cluster, and Dragonfly Cluster, was imaged by “Astrodoc” Ron Brecher of Guelph, Ontario. The bright stars are the eyes. The body and feet extend down to the right. Squint to see the upswept, curving chains of stars for the wings.This image covers a finger’s width of…
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Greater Toronto Area Space Station Flyovers for the week of October 27th, 2024

As shown above, on Thursday, October 31, 2024 from 7:18 to 7:24 am EDT, the International Space Station will be visible flying overhead of the GTA in an extremely bright pass, exiting Earth’s shadow just above the west-northwestern horizon and then flying past Mars and Jupiter before setting below the east-southeastern horizon near the moon.…
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The Meteor-Spoiling Moon Moves into Morning, the Night’s Full of Planets, and a Comet Sees a Ghost after Sunset!

My neighbour is a pilot and captured this terrific image of comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS), complete with anti-tail pointing downward, on October 14 while en route. That’s Venus at lower left, Arcturus a bit higher at right, and the star 110 Virginis directly above the comet. Hello, Late-October Stargazers! Here are your Astronomy Skylights for…
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Greater Toronto Area Space Station Flyovers for the week of October 20th, 2024

As shown above, on Tuesday, October 22, 2024 from 6:34 to 6:38 am EDT, the International Space Station will be visible flying over the GTA in a bright pass, exiting Earth’s shadow partway up the west-northwestern sky and then flying under Polaris before setting below the northeastern horizon near the bright star Arcturus. (courtesy: Heavens-above.com)…
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